Anyone do matched betting?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

And can explain to me, slowly, how it works? I've been watching lots of how-to videos but I'm still quite confused Maybe I'm just really dim

@GideonSmideon good for you. Read the link I set out in an earlier post about someone who was less successful with it. And the replies from people crippled with addiction. It's not fun and games and it isn't investment in my view.

@Fahbeep
Matched betting is NOT gambling, and your comments just show you have 0 understanding what Matched Betting is.

The betting site offers you £30 of free bets to sign up. You place your bets, but on the same horse to both win and lose. In normal circumstances this is pointless. It would make you break even (no profit no loss). However, because of the “£30” offer from the betting company, you pocket that £30.

It’s basically a way of taking money off of immoral betting sites with zero risk. Betting on the same horse to both win and lose is, by definition, not gambling.

Oh not a problem for me - been banned from pretty much all sites now! Good while it lasted though.

@Fahbeep Unless you are stupid (or doing it when you’re tired and distracted - which IS stupid) and forget to place the matching bet, or pick a matching bet with different odds, you cannot lose any money.

It’s not addictive at all… its so bloody boring, slow and difficult to keep track of. It’s like being an accountant for fun.

@Greycottage I know what matched betting is. Your view of zero risk is naive though. I understand that matched betting as a maths concept is risk free, but human beings are not computers. We are irrational animals driven by dopamine and other pleasure chemicals released when betting. Many people drift from matched betting into gambling addiction, by straying into generalised betting.

I refer you to the link I provided earlier where many people did say it led them into addiction. That may not be true for you, but it is for others.

You may have all realised, I'm not a fan of gambling. I've made my point though and I'll leave you to your discussion.

Personally I think it prevents those people getting into gambling because the bookies ban you. Even if I wanted to gamble, and I don't, I can't because there's not a bookies I can log into now.

Saying that, there are a few people I remember from the facebook site who started match betting and doing the casino offers but didn't seem to grasp the principles and then lost money. I think you need a certain level of intelligence to grasp the basic concepts and they obviously couldn't!

Is there a casino equivalent of matched betting?

Yes. Offers free spins. It's the free spins that adjust the probability of losing to winning.

Prepare for spells of losing though, can be hard to stomach.
Maths says you'll win overall, but likely to have say 20 losing games, losing several hundred quid, followed by one where you win it all back plus more. Volume is the name of the game, and being prepared for the volatility.

I’ve always been a bit skeptical about betting in general, but matched betting really does seem like a clever way to make some extra cash without the usual risks. It’s like a strategy game, right?

Strategy implies skill to win. There is nothing strategic about MB. It's just maths.

Bet £20, lose £2. But betting £20 has gained you a free £5 bet which you gain £4.50 off. So you've lost £2 but gained £4.50 - profit of £2.50.

I tried it out using the Bet365 bonus code, and it was pretty eye-opening. I was worried it might feel like gambling, but it felt more like just playing the system a bit. Plus, I’ve heard good things about bet365 casino as well; it seems like they have some great promotions. I’m still figuring everything out, but I like the idea of turning what’s usually seen as a vice into a more strategic approach.